Pregnancy without ovarian function A case report

A 38-year-old nulliparous woman suffering from premature menopause was stimulated with oestradiol valerate in order to create an artificial endometrial cycle. Three oocytes were donated by a woman on an in vitro fertilisation cycle and were inseminated with the patient's husband's sperm. These were then transferred into the patient's uterus after the endometrium had been primed with progesterone to change it to the secretory phase. Pregnancy resulted and proceeded well. Gestation was terminated at the 34th week by caesarean section and 2 healthy boys and 1 girl were delivered

Effects of Catalysts on the Preparation and Properties of Organometallic Compounds

It has been shown that the formation of RM compounds can be accelerated photochemically and by the use of varying quantities of selected reagents. Also, the rates of reaction between RM compounds and various reactants can be accelerated by small quantities of catalysts like cuprous chloride. For example, the time required for complete interaction of benzonitrile and phenylmagnesium bromide is reduced significantly by the addition of small amounts of compounds like cuprous chloride. It appears that these particular catalysts function by first forming very unstable organometallic compounds like phenylcopper, in the case mentioned. Then the phenylcopper decomposes to give copper and diphenyl, probably via free phenyl radicals which then set up chain reactions

Conceptualizing the adventure-sports coach

As a comparatively recent development, the adventure-sports coach struggles for a clear and distinct identity. The generic term ‘instructor’ no longer characterizes the role and function of this subgroup of outdoor professionals. Indeed, although the fields of adventure/outdoor education and leadership are comparatively well researched, the arrival of this ‘new kid on the block’ appears to challenge both the adventure-sports old guard and traditional views of sports coaching. In an attempt to offer clarity and stimulate debate, this paper attempts to conceptualize the adventure-sports coach in the context of the existing roles in the field and current motivations for activity in the outdoors. We identify issues that are specific to the adventure-sports coach while also recognizing those skills and competencies shared with other professionals, both in the adventure sports profession and traditional sports coaching fields. Based on this review, we offer a conceptual model which may be used to focus debate, stimulate research and, at a possible later stage, to underpin accreditation, training and professional development

Assessing Collaboration in a National Research Partnership in Quality Improvement in Indigenous Primary Health Care: A Network Approach

Background: The ABCD National Research Partnership was formed in mid-2010 as a collaboration to harness the expertise, experiences and resources of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled peak bodies, government and research organisations to improve the quality of Indigenous primary health care. The aim of this study was to apply social network methods to assess collaboration and functioning of the Partnership at two time-points.Methods: A social network analysis (SNA) survey was conducted in early 2013, with a follow-up survey in mid-2014. In the two survey rounds, online surveys were emailed to one senior person of the organisation participating in the Partnership (2013: 14 organisations; 2014: 11 organisations). The surveys collected data on respondent perceptions of the Partnership as well as social network relationship data. Social network methods were used to apply standardised metrics to assess how well the partnership was functioning as a collaborative three years into its operation, and in its fourth year.Results: Most respondents rated the Partnership as successful in progressing toward its goals. Network density and centrality scores show a well-connected partnership spanning different organisational types and states/territories (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and Far-West New South Wales). High centrality scores reflect high connectivity between key hubs in the network, contributing toward the shared goal of improved Indigenous primary health care. Network diagrams show key structural positions by organisational type, the frequency and intensity of interactions and the strengths and potential vulnerabilities in the partnership network, with comparisons at two time points for the partnership.Conclusions: The study found that the Partnership was effective in securing collaboration across its partners. Partners' contribution of resources reflected their active involvement. There was a high level of agreement on the achievement of the key goals of the Partnership, showing shared sense-making amongst partners. SNA tools assisted with monitoring the network over time to develop strategies supporting connections between partners for sustaining collaborative learning. Study findings identify successful approaches for a research partnership to improve quality of care in Indigenous primary health care and provide encouragement for wider applications for research partnerships and collaborations in Australia and internationally

Transcribing Reality: how the nature of audio and visual media have affected culture, perception, and the role of the artist.

The research presented in this thesis was motivated by my own need as a composer to position my work within the broadening of artistic practice that has become a significant aspect of the contemporary music scene. Roughly speaking, this research consists of two interconnected topics: the nature of the complex relationship between reality and the means we have to record it, and a rethinking of the audio visual correlations that might arise as a result of such an investigation into the workings of media. Through the study of these two topics, further important issues will be brought to light such as the distinction between discrete and continuous recording methods, ideas of medial loss, intermedia, and the role that we ourselves play in the development and consumption of media, and as makers and spectators of artworks that use media. I will investigate these questions through my own artistic work. This work, as befits the research topic, employs a variety of formats including some, such as film and audio-visual installation which I have never used before. As a counterpoint to my portfolio I have chosen to examine a carefully selected set of pieces by other artists, also in a variety of media, that taken as a whole help to outline the artistic and theoretical territory to be studied. The investigations of my own work as well as of these case studies are knitted together with theory drawn from a wide range of sources including psychology, science, art, media and music theory, in addition to ideas gleaned from fiction, in order to form the basis of the written part of my thesis. The text is divided into an introductory chapter, three main chapters and a concluding chapter, and has a quasi-historical trajectory starting with the long-exposure that characterized early photography, moving through the single short sample, to the stringing of these samples together into film and digital audio. The fourth chapter concerns sound film, synchronisation and the FT domain, and explores what happens when we put sound and image together, or try to imagine one through the lens of the other. The concluding chapter deals with recent developments in media technology such as high film frame rates and the domination of the digital world, and examines the problematics associated with these developments

From targets to ripples: tracing the process of developing a community capacity building appraisal tool with remote Australian indigenous communities to tackle food security

© 2014 Brimblecombe et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.BACKGROUND: The issue of food security is complex and requires capacity for often-unrelated groups to work together. We sought to assess the relevance and meaning of a commonly used set of community capacity development constructs in the context of remote Indigenous Australia and through this propose a model to support capacity. METHODS: The assessment was conducted with four communities and took place over five steps that involved: (i) test of clarity of construct meaning; (ii) inductive derivation of community capacity constructs; (iii) application of these constructs to the capacity of community multi-sector food-interest groups; (iv) a cross-check of these constructs and their meanings to literature-derived constructs, and; (v) achieving consensus on tool constructs. Data were collected over a three-year period (2010-2012) that involved two on-site visits to one community, and two urban-based workshops. These data were augmented by food-interest group meeting minutes and reports. RESULTS: Eleven community capacity development constructs were included in the proposed model: community ownership, building on strengths, strong leadership and voice, making decisions together, strong partnerships, opportunities for learning and skill development, way of working, getting together the things you need, good strong communication, sharing the true story, and continuing the process and passing on to the next generation. The constructs derived from the literature and commonly used to appraise community capacity development were well accepted and could be used to identify areas needing strengthening. The specifics of each construct however differed from those derived from the literature yet were similar across the four communities and had particular meaning for those involved. The involvement of elders and communication with the wider community seemed paramount to forming a solid foundation on which capacity could be further developed. CONCLUSION: This study explored an approach for ascribing context specific meanings to a set of capacity development constructs and an effective visual appraisal tool. An approach to tackling food security in the remote Indigenous context where community capacity goals are considered in parallel with outcome goals, or at least as incremental goals along the way, may well help to lay a more solid foundation for improved service practice and program sustainability

Design and performance of ropes for climbing and sailing

Ropes are an important part of the equipment used by climbers, mountaineers, and sailors. On first inspection, most modern polymer ropes appear similar, and it might be assumed that their designs, construction, and properties are governed by the same requirements. In reality, the properties required of climbing ropes are dominated by the requirement that they effectively absorb and dissipate the energy of the falling climber, in a manner that it does not transmit more than a critical amount of force to his body. This requirement is met by the use of ropes with relatively low longitudinal stiffness. In contrast, most sailing ropes require high stiffness values to maximize their effectiveness and enable sailors to control sails and equipment precisely. These conflicting requirements led to the use of different classes of materials and different construction methods for the two sports. This paper reviews in detail the use of ropes, the properties required, manufacturing techniques and materials utilized, and the effect of service conditions on the performance of ropes. A survey of research that has been carried out in the field reveals what progress has been made in the development of these essential components and identifies where further work may yield benefits in the future